No. 502 Squadron RAF

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No. 502 (Ulster) Squadron was a Royal Air Force squadron that saw service in World War II.

Contents 1 History 2 Aircraft 3 Location 4 Squadron Codes 5 Duty

[edit] History

On November 28 1938, No.502 (Ulster) Squadron became part of RAF Coastal Command, and was re-equipped with the Avro Anson. When war broke out, the squadron was used to fly patrol in the Atlantic off the Irish Coast. From October 1940, the Squadron flew with Whitleys. On 30 November 1941 the squadron became the first Coastal Command unit to make a successful attack on a U-boat with air-to-surface radar, sinking U-Boat U-206 in the Bay of Biscay.

In January 1942 the squadron officially moved to East Anglia, where a maintenance base was set up at Bircham Newton. From February all operations were flown from St.Eval in Cornwall. Then, until 1944 the squadron's main role was to carry anti-submarine patrols. In January 1943 conversion to Halifaxes began, the first patrol by this type being flown on 12 March. In addition to anti-submarine patrols, attacks on enemy shipping off the French coast were made.In September 1944, with the French coast back in Allied hands, the squadron moved to Scotland to carry out attacks on German shipping off the Norwegian coast, remaining there until the end of the war. It was disbanded in May 1945.

[edit] Aircraft

January 1939-November 1940: Avro Anson I October 1940-February 1942: Armstrong Whitworth Whitley V February 1942-February 1943: Armstrong Whitworth Whitley VII February 1943 to March 1945: Handley Page Halifax GR.Mk II March 1945 to May 1945: Handley Page Halifax GR.Mk III and VI

[edit] Location

27 January 1925-27 January 1941: Aldergrove (north west of Belfast) 27 January 1941-12 January 1942: Limavady 12-22 February 1942: Docking 22 February 1942-2 March 1943: St. Eval 2-25 March 1943: Holmsley South 25 March 1943-30 June 1943: St. Eval 30 June 1943-10 December 1943: Holmsley South 10 December 1943-11 September 1944: St. Davids 11 September 1944-25 May 1945: Stornoway

[edit] Squadron Codes

Aircraft codes: KQ (Apr 1939 - Sep 1939), YG (Sep 1939 - Feb 1943), TG, V9 (Jun 1944 - May 1945, 1949 - 1953), RAC (May 1946 - 1949)

[edit] Duty

1939-1945: Coastal Command February 1943: ASV warfare squadron with Coastal Command, No. 19 Group 25 May 1945: Disbanded

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